bench press

89nunu
89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
Alright girls after planting the bar on face this morning I've got a question.

Is it just me that's struggling with these?

I'm eating a lot! All my lifts go up nicely but the stupid bench press! I know my week points and what to work on (I mean apart from not putting down the bar on your face) and that's not what I'm asking for. I just wanted to know if I'm the only one that just can't get her numbers up on it?

Replies

  • TriLifter
    TriLifter Posts: 1,283 Member
    I haven't been benching as part of this particular program, but when I did Stronglifts 5x5, I stalled out at 65 lbs.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    I have points that I do struggle with it. I've backed off a time or two to make sure I'm solid at one weight and then go back up but it's slow going. My progress on it is usually a single rep at a time. So if I do 4x4, then next time I do 5 then 4, 4, 4. I really want to get better at it so I'm trying to take the slow and steady approach. Those and OHP are typically the hardest.

    Do you have a set of fractional plates that you can use? Maybe jumping by a smaller weight amount will help with progressing.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    I maxed at my highest in August of 105 and then struggled hard mainly due to shoulder impingement injury. One thing that's always helped me add weight to my lifts is reverse pyramiding. Do your 1-2 warmup sets at 50% and only around 5-6 reps, don't burnout first. Then for your very first set of 4-5 reps due your max weight plus 5-10lbs and you'll be surprised. Follow with your sets after of 6r, 8r with lower weights each time then next week you should be able to add even more. I've found it more successful for me this way than traditional 5x5. Bench isn't easy for many women, it's just not a strong area in terms of muscular development we use or build as frequently as men.
  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
    Thanks guys! These responses make me feel a lot better!!

    I've been stuck on 30kg for 3 weeks (4 times bp) now. But I did kind of manage to go up in reps. I do 4x5-8 and went up a rep in most sets, often failing in my last set to get it all the way up.

    The thing is, I don't have trouble with the ohp, went from 25x4x5 to 30x4x5 in 3 weeks (4th workout to come on Thursday).

    One of my male lifter friends suggested to do the bp more than once a week and I will try that, also incorporated close grip bp into my routine and will definitely try the reverse pyramiding as well!
  • TriLifter
    TriLifter Posts: 1,283 Member
    The thing is, I don't have trouble with the ohp, went from 25x4x5 to 30x4x5 in 3 weeks (4th workout to come on Thursday).

    That's great! OHP is my weakest lift by far.
  • I have no idea why but I tend to be really hard on myself with the bench and I tend to be fairly decent at it. I however have a TERRIBLE time with deadlifts. It's mostly form related I think. I have an old lower back injury and I know if I use my legs not my back I should be fine, but I always SUCK at them! I did have some good instruction and I am doing better but I just hate it. I feel like I'm the only person who struggles with them. I am decent at the squat but I also find I don't push too hard because of the back. I guess maybe that's why I think I should be "good" at the bench?
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    my bench gains are slow but they are there. Having a spotter has been HUGE for me, having the confidence and ability to push myself through those last few reps is whats doing it. Before i had a spotter i was stuck around 75-85 because i was scared to go heavier and getting stuck under the weight and scared of the last two reps, i'd stop before i was ripping fibers. I really recommend getting a good spotter, and talking to them about how to spot you. You dont want them to just yank the bar away when you get stuck , they have to assist just enough to get through those last couple reps. Your spotter will also help you maintain your form so you can get the most out of your lift. Really talk to your spotter and work together.
    I do 6x5 sets flat bench and 6x5 incline and 6x5 flys twice a week. I'm toast by the time i'm done. i take 2 - 3 days off for recovery.
    I also spend time working on negatives, lowering the bar down super super slowly . I will pack on more than i can lift and then do negatives and my spotter helps me lift the bar, and then i can lower back down slowly. Negatives are really good for building muscle. I went from 75-85 to 105-115 in 6 weeks.
    the same with OHP, i only do them with a spotter and i have slow but steady gains.
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
    Women have less testosterone receptors in our upper bodies compared to men which is why we are naturally weaker there, so I've read. I recently got up to 85 lbs which is 74% of my body weight. Like the others, I don't have a spotter. Last week I tried 90 lbs and it came down on top of me. I got if off safely but it's still scary. I have factional plates and find those to be incredibly useful for both the bench and OHP since sometime even a 5 lb. increase is too much.

    What I do for lifts like these is increase the reps if I don't increase the weight. Start with 6, and by the time I can do 10-12, it's time to push the weight up again and the reps can go down.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    if you dont have a spotter, you can do single arm presses with dumbbells and spot yourself with your other arm, and you can always throw down the weight if you lose it. thats another way to get a good rip in the fibers . Also pushups do lots of pushups to fatigue. and if you can do pushups easily, start doing single arm pushups. Do them on inclines, with your feet raised, there are all kinds of ways to get good chest rip that help on the bench.
  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
    Thanks for all your advise!

    I will try out a couple of things. Push ups are part of my routine already anyway... but I might push them to total exhaustion...
    I did close grip today and asked the trainer to spot me. I find close grip are harder on my wrists then on antything else though, so going to fatigue on chest/tris is pretty impossible.
    I am always going up in reps first, working between 5-8 (face plant happened when I was on 8)
    I will definitely try the pyramid sets as well!
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    If you're doing chest and tris together how does your order look? I actually never recommend people to work these together bc one burns out the other quickly and you can't reach your full potential. I know many do and it's all about preference but I've seen others, including myself, have better success doing push/pulls together.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    i do tris on chest day. After i'm done crushing my chest , i do sets of pullups until i'm about to die and then i do some tris and bis just for fun so i leave the gym super pumped.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    Also if you don't have a spotter why not bench in the power rack? I know the bros will moan and grunt, but f**k 'em. :)
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    i do tris on chest day. After i'm done crushing my chest , i do sets of pullups until i'm about to die and then i do some tris and bis just for fun so i leave the gym super pumped.

    Right...but sometimes more experienced lifters can get away with it. I do that as well however some will advance better splitting it.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    so do you do tris on leg day? i dont know when else i could squeeze them in, since they do get burned up on the bench and with pull ups anyways, my leg day is generally an arm/chest rest day. Do you do them later in the day on chest day? I dont even really work my bis and tris that hard by themselves since they get worked with the big lifts.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/bench-press-technique.html

    If you've been stuck at the same weight 3 weeks, go back down, and gradually move up. At least that's what you are supposed to do on Stronglifts.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    so do you do tris on leg day? i dont know when else i could squeeze them in, since they do get burned up on the bench and with pull ups anyways, my leg day is generally an arm/chest rest day. Do you do them later in the day on chest day? I dont even really work my bis and tris that hard by themselves since they get worked with the big lifts.

    Push/Pull

    Back/Tris, Chest/Bis or together on a day by themselves. I like to keep them on a day alone with cardio and the last thing I do in the week. And yes, with any isolation move, if it's a combined workout it's kept at the end.